Tim Keller and Deconstructing Defeater Beliefs

This week in the Emerging generation class we listened to a lecture by Tim Keller. The lectured was title 'Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in the Postmodern World' it was a thought provoking. I liked how Keller acknowledges that traditional evangelism and apologetics are utterly useless anymore. I was a bit surprised by this but it was nice to hear an 'older' person state this particularly with having Franklin Graham giving a traditional evangelistic speech. Keller also is a firm believer of process of conversion, which speaks against the traditional evangelism. I also appreciated that Keller acknowledges past abuses of Christians. The latter portion of Keller revolves around that many people will not accept a gospel message for the simple reason of 'implausibility structure.'

The theory that Keller calls propositional apologetics revolves around looking at a persons worldview and deconstructing false notions within their worldview. Keller states in an article "Many books on reaching post-moderns today give the impression that people now need virtually no arguments at all. The 'apologetic' is a loving community.' While I tend to disagree with Keller that this form of apologetics is better than a loving community, but nonetheless intriguing.

Keller did a survey of non-Christians under 25 in NY and concluded that six primary 'defeater beliefs' exist and till these are engaged that any christian message will be ignored.

The six defeater beliefs are:

1. The other religions
2. Evil and suffering
3. The ethical straitjacket
4. The record of Christians
5. The angry God
6. The unreliable Bible

I would say that these are fairly accurate. Some of his answers are quite adequate, some I feel Keller grossly underestimates the situation. One of the huge problems I see is #4. I think in order to move forward to deeper Christianity, which Keller sees as the solution. While I do agree this is the case, but I think the standard communication of the Christians render this point to a problematic step. In my experience particularly among young adults, Christianity is about going to heaven, so to have a deeper Christianity doesn't make sense due to the over emphasis on sinners prayer as the 'finish line' of faith. I actually would say that some of these defeater beliefs, I actually agree with and are part of the reason i struggle with the church.

Either way I found the lecture thought provoking, but I don't know if postmodern apologetics is any better on paper than classical apologetics. However, I sense that seeing this task done in person might convince me more. The other problem of this post-modern apologetics is that often in Christianity people are told that evangelism is one of the central activities of Christians. This method is very intellectual, which if evangelism is an activity we all participate in, if this method is graspable by an entire congregation.

Is God in every religion?

I think due to the pluralistic nature of western culture, this is an dilemma. Naturally this questions many of the tenets of American Evangelical Christianity. Many of the exclusive claims within Christianity are being questions due to many finding many similarities between the various religions. I think this is a positive trend, but also requires a person to know their own religion better.

Recently, I listen to "Finding our God in the Other" a sermon by Samir Selmanovic(http://samirselmanovic.typepad.com/). Selmanovic is a pastor in Manhattan, he grew up Muslim became an Atheist and now is a Christian pastor. That in itself is profound. At times I wonder where I would be if I didn't grow up in a Christian family. Selmanovic proses an interesting question, in Acts 17, Paul is in Athens. Where people are worshiping an unknown God and Paul proceeds to show them they are worshiping the God of Israel. This is a unique take on the passage, but i don't think it is bad hermeneutics. Selmanovic delves into whether we can acknowledge good in other religions. If we can not this naturally is a problem, I have meet many people of other faiths that are wonderful people, can we be better followers of God by seeing good in other religions. I tend to think so. The problem is whether Christianity can become an idol. Many of the Christian doctrines or tenets are not about preaching the resurrection of Christ, but have to do with cultural accepted forms within the church.

I think Christians are guilt for many abuses, as every religion is, but I think those serious about living faithful to God , need other religious communities to hold us in check. The problem I have encountered is that we as Christians do not admit to those abuses. I have little knowledge about other religions, but I know Christianity is based on repentance and forgiveness. In that theme let us ask forgiveness from all the people Christians have demonized and hurt over the years.

If any of you are interesting the sermon it is the Emergent Podcast from February 11/07

I love music

I must say that i have quite an affinity for music. Every since my high school years I have enjoyed music that crossed many genres. Over the past two years I have been exposed to the wonderful world of indie and folk music. I truly enjoy these genres. Recently, I have noticed how this music is becoming the norm in my ipod. Just thought I'd share a few of the artists that I have discovered.

Bright Eyes: Often compared to a young Bob Dylan. Of all the indie artists I have discovered Bright Eyes is by far the best. His best album in my estimation is I'm Awake, its Morning.

Broken Social Scene: Is a great compilation of many different artists. Very unique, but are becoming well known. They won best alternative album at last years Juno. 'You forgot it in the people' is a gem of an album. Very easy listening, good for a long drive.

Stars: Is a indie-pop band that sprung forth from Broken Social Scene. Very melodic and light. They have great songs about life and relationships.

Amy Millan: Is the lead singer from Stars. She has a beautiful voice, a very folky feel.

The Decemberists: This band is very unique much on the line with Broken Social Scene, very mellow. I find this band very 'intellectual'. I find their early work to be Superior to their newer releases, "Her Majesty, The Decemberists" is my favorite CD.

Derek Webb: I first encountered Webb with Caedmon Call, but his solo projects really speak to me. Particularly the problem of nationalism with in western Christianity. Also with being the only Christian artist I really connect with speaks to the significance of his music.

The Mountain Goats: I am not sure what i like about there mellow tone, but in the last couple weeks they are constantly played during my blogging/reading time.

Neko Case: Is a folk goddess. I don't use that word often, but its hard to describe her any other way. Her latest release 'Fox confessor brings the flood' is great through and through.

As well this year I found the music of Snow Patrol and The Frays, but I expect many of you are familiar with those house hold names.

The ugly side of the emerging church...

A couple weeks ago I posted about how my home church is very draining for me. This is mostly due to theological disagreement and also due to its modern leaning. In reading 'Emerging Churches', I am encountering a negative side of the emerging church that gives me hope. By no means is emerging 'saintly' in their description of the modern church. Actually I am coming to the point where many emerging leaders need to repent of their description of a modern church. Brad Cecil calls that once he was 'enlightened' he could no long go back to a modern church, many in the book refer to the modern church as being dead and meaningless. I don't think that is entirely true across North America. I think there is place for the modern church, not that everything they have done over the last 20-30 years in vain. Many people, twentysomes included, find the modern church a source of hope. The problem is that many do not find hope in a modern expression of church. Due to this lack of hope of church, new churches need to emerge without writing off 'older' churches. I agree with the sentiment that I could not be satisfied in a modern church, but that does not mean it is dead for everyone.

'Our' God as idol.

I think whenever someone mentions idol, I think of worshiping something other than God. I am realizing while this is an idol, do we worship our understanding of God. Do we believe we really got it all figured out. Is anyone capable of figuring God out? I think our minds will never grasp God fully, due to God's otherness. Not that this means we stop talking about God, but that we stop talking about God in way that we've got it all figured out. Are we not involved in idol worship when we stubbornly view our understanding of God as right.

Maybe this would be a good time for repentance of our iconic view of God.

'Lord, we offer up our images of you, acknowledging that while they are important, you stand over and above all our understanding. In love and faithfulness we offer you these fragments as we recognize the poverty of our understanding before the wealth of your presence. Amen.'(taken from "How (Not) To Speak Of God)

Books I am mulling over....

It's weird to think that most of my assignments are done already. It's only mid-february and I only have a 5-pager left. On the plus side to this I am able to dive back into book reading. Last semester my reading was a bit scarce due to the internship and class. I am pretty pumped at the prospect of reading books for fun again. Here are a couple I am working through:

How (Not) To Speak Of God by Peter Rollins

Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

The Gottingen Dogmatics by Karl Barth

Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright

I am finding these books to be a great influence in rethinking church, espeically Emerging Churches because it is a class text.

Happy Reading

Words of Wisdom

Did not the Lord share the table of tax collectors and harlots? So then - do not distinguish between the worthy and the unworthy. All must be equal in your eyes to love and to serve.

A great Colbert Report

Well as many of you know I am huge Stephen Colbert fan. The February 8th installment was great. The guest on the show was Chris Hedges. Hedges is the author of "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America", I am intrigued by his ideas. Well if you are interested in these kind of things check it out. I want to leave you with one quote from Hedges, "Augustine said hope had two children anger and courage." I liked that....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feebdxbUhkY

http://www.alternet.org/story/47679/

Enjoy

Scary Christians

This past week I watched the "Jesus Camp." Ever since i saw the trailers this summer i was intrigued. In general, i was scared at this version of Christianity. I think the ties were too close to a political/military American Christianity. I guess when the trailer opens with the pastor talking about the enemy(referring to Islam), but i wanted to check it out anyways.

The movie is about a charismatic summer camp in North Dakota. Maybe its due to my unfamiliarity with the charismatic church, but the whole idea made me uncomfortable.

Well at times it was funny. In one scene this 8 year old girl talks about dead and alive churches. She basically says any church where people sit calmly are dead(so any Baptist, Mennonite church). God 'likes' churches where people are pumping up and down. So basically the bad church are not inviting God into church. I thought that was funny/sad.

Well check it out if you get a chance.

Homosexuality....

A close friend of mine has been having some really good discussion on homosexuality. I think ever since attending at prov this question has been going around my mind. Some conclusion that I have come to:

1. The gay gene hypothesis is not conclusive.
2. Many studies have shown that those who live homosexually are at a greater risk for various diseases or conditions.
3. The church misunderstands the few passages speaking on homosexuality.
4. We really don't understand definitively why people decide on a homosexual relationships.
5. Many people actually leave a gay lifestyle with the help of counselling.
6. The church generally has a hateful attitude towards gays and lesbians.
7. One of Jesus' goals was to deconstruct the purity code of the Pharisees.
8. Often the church resembles the Pharisees on the 'gay issue.'

It is hard to understand the hatred towards gays and lesbians. While, working on the cruise ship I experienced genuine concern and love from gays and lesbians. I think this is hard to come to grasp with how the church wants to portray gays and lesbians as 'weird.' No matter the amount any one is fallen, they are still in relationship with God. God created human as good. This cannot be taken away, creation is first and foremost 'Good'.

My conclusion over thinking about a response to homosexuality is do our best to the way of Jesus is to embrace any and all interested in searching after God in a community of faith. This naturally includes many excluded by the church, not just gays and lesbians. If we believe church is to be transformative communities, I believe we need to change things, and not maintain the status quo of church membership.

there is no truth.....

So today in my 'Ministry with the Emerging Generation' class, i had a group presentation using a form of media to discuss spritualailty. We choose a Bright Eyes song. I have been a huge fan of Bright Eyes, since March 2005...i think he is brillant.

Back to the class, the song we used questions life and particularly church. I think the church often make a lot of 'truth statements.' I am sure some think this is vital for the church to do. However, we live in a time when there is no one version of Christianity. We have too many denominations to count. Further for more, I believe that relgions will be evaluated on what they do not what they say. Words are nice, but faith without works is dead. Truth capital "T" does not make one faith or another true.

We live in a pluralistic age, where relgions appear to have less in common then we'd like to make a clear distiction over the 'keepers of truth.' The 'Daily Show' had a hilarious skti a while back where they debated Islam vs. Christianty. Each side would say the same thing about truth statements, where they would use their own texts to prove their relgion to be true. It's funny because of how many arugment have a heard that went 'God is true, because the bible says so and the bible is true because God says so'. Funny to write it out, but so many people argue religons from this point of view.

I think I am still a christian because i have encoutnered God throughout mylife, not because someone says this or that about God.

I'm pretty pumped!!!

So I recently found out about The Conversation Series on the Intersection of Faith and Culture taking place @ Booth College. The conversation series is an activity of St. Benedict's Table. This one will be in dialogue with Andrew Beaujon(author of Body Piercing Saved My Life: inside the phenomenon of Christian rock) It should be very interesting. This semester, I've been diving deeper into those issue of faith and culture. I don't believe we escape to church or our faith is an escape from the messiness of life. I just found out that the conference is on during my reading week, so i am pumped. Should be an interesting experience.

Good Christian Music.

Well for much of my life I've thought 'good christian music' was a joke of sorts. I have been exposed to so much crappy Christians music, sad really. A week ago, I bought music from St. Benedict's Table. I must say it is amazing, its been playing nonestop since i got it. For those interested check out http://www.stbenedictstable.ca/ for some info. If anyone would like me to pick you up a copy, let me know the cost is $15. Happy listening.